It was the biggest rally in months in which protesters accused the
country’s ruling generals of manipulating upcoming presidential
elections to preserve their power.

The report noted that the attempts by protest organizers to form a
united front against the military were blocked by competing agendas.

The liberals and leftists accused the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood of
abandoning the "revolution" months ago and allying with the military
in hopes of securing power. In Friday´s rally, noted AP, many said
the Brotherhood was only turning to the streets after the generals
proved more powerful in decision-making even after an Islamist-
dominated parliament was elected.

The Brotherhood, meanwhile, said it was protesting to preserve the
revolution.

The protest comes after earlier this week, the country’s election
commission disqualified 10 candidates, including the top three
contenders.

The disqualified candidates include ultraconservative Islamist Hazem
Abu Ismail, former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Muslim
Brotherhood chief strategist Khairat el-Shater. The panel had
announced their disqualification along with ten other candidates over
the weekend. All three appealed the decision on Monday, but to no
avail.

During Friday’s demonstration, according to AP, the protesters
chanted “Down with military rule,” and demanded that candidates seen
as “remnants” from Mubarak´s regime be barred from the race. Tens of
thousands more demonstrated in other cities around the country.

According to the report, liberals and youth activists who led last
year´s anti-Mubarak uprising urged the Brotherhood and other
Islamists to agree with them on a single candidate for president who
would pursue a “revolutionary” agenda of reform and confront the
military.

The Brotherhood, however, refused to step aside in favor of a
consensus figure. Though its initial candidate Khairat el-Shater was
disqualified, the Brotherhood has a back-up nominee in the race,
party leader Mohammed Morsi.

The majority in Tahrir appeared to be Islamists, though the leftist
and liberal camps made their strongest showing in months, noted AP.

Enjy Hamadi, with the leftist April 6 youth movement, said the
Brotherhood should drop Morsi, agree on a consensus candidate and to
a more inclusive assembly to write the constitution. “The Brotherhood
needs to return to the revolution with actions, not words,” she told
AP.

Essam el-Erian, deputy head of the Brotherhood´s political party,
called it "not logical" for Morsi to step aside and denied the group
would agree to a constitutional panel that does not include members
of the Islamist-dominated parliament.